Concern over planned closure of Royal Mail delivery office at Bishopbriggs

Published:10:50Monday 18 September 2017

Share this article

Strathkelvin MSP Rona Mackay has spoken of her concern over the planned shutdown of Bishopbriggs delivery office by Royal Mail.

Services would be integrated into the Kirkintilloch delivery office which would then serve all customers in the G64 area, the company has announced.

Royal Mail has entered talks with the Communications Workers Union (CWU) on the closing down of services in Bishopbriggs.

Ms Mackay has arranged a meeting with the Director of External Relations for Royal Mail to hear more about the plans and to request that no redundancies of the 33 staff are made if services are going to be moved.

She said: “This is what we feared when arguing against the privatisation of Royal Mail – one of the LibDem/Tory coalition’s worst crimes when they were in Government at Westminster.

“It is particularly disturbing to close a parcel depot when increased parcel delivery was cited as one of the main reasons Royal Mail increased its annual profits by 25 per cent in 2016/17.

“I have arranged a meeting with Royal Mail to ask for reassurance that no jobs are cut in closing down the Bishopbriggs Delivery office if this proposal goes ahead.”

A spokesperson for Royal Mail said the changes were necessary for “the ongoing transformation” of its business and to increase the efficiency of its operation as well as providing delivery offices which are fit for purpose for staff and customers.

He added: “It will also offer car parking for customers and the same level of opening hours”.

Discussions were ongoing with the CWU, he said, and added that there are not expected to be any job losses if the move goes ahead.